


can't breathe with(out) you near

by oldpapertowns



Series: atla college au [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending (Avatar TV), Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, zuko also had an emo phase and you can't convince me otherwise, zuko is completely oblivious but that's to be expected, zuko is touch starved and a lowkey metalhead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27586346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldpapertowns/pseuds/oldpapertowns
Summary: Kuei starts reading off the pairs, and eventually Zuko hears his name called. It’s followed by… Sokka’s.Zuko actually doesn’t know much about Sokka, despite having shared at least one class with him for nearly the past two years.What he does know, however, is that Sokka is kind of ridiculously handsome. Dark skin paired with the bluest pair of eyes Zuko has ever seen, with cheekbones to die for and a constant smile on his face. Not to mention an incredibly passionate, warm-hearted, kind person.Zuko doesn’t necessarily have a crush on him, but he can acknowledge that the guy is good-looking, and he wouldn’t be opposed to going on a date with him.As if someone like Sokka would even look your way,he thinks to himself with a self-deprecating snort, slumping over his desk again.OR: zuko and sokka get paired together for a project and generally act like clueless idiots
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: atla college au [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016542
Comments: 52
Kudos: 501
Collections: A:tla





	1. stopped me in my tracks / caught me in a gaze

**Author's Note:**

> my first atla fic!! i hope u guys enjoy :D  
> fic title from ‘the edge of tonight’ by all time low, chapter 1 title from 'i'll always be around' by waterparks (except i removed a few words)  
> this is finished and will be updated on a weekly basis. i also have,,, a Lot of other works in progress for this universe so stay tuned for that!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why does ao3 add that extra space around italics i now have to read through this entire thing. pain

Zuko’s jolted out of his somewhat zoned-out state (because honestly, when you’ve been sitting in a mandatory class for an hour and 25 minutes, _nobody_ wants to concentrate) when Professor Kuei claps his hands.

Oh no.

Professor Kuei only claps his hands when a.) he announces something bad, like group projects, b.) when he’s handing back tests, or c.) when there’s going to be a “special treat” (read: a guest lecturer) next class, so Zuko isn’t expecting much. Nevertheless, he straightens up and fixes his gaze on Kuei, hoping that his eyes aren’t too glazed over.

Professor Kuei announces, “I wanted to let you guys know about your midterms. I was going to assign you all a group, where you’d work together on a few essays, _but_ -” he smiles as a handful of people groan. Zuko finds himself cringing as he remembers the beginning of the semester, where Kuei had been giving them a group assignment every two weeks. “Since you all seem to hate those so much, I’ve changed it.”

Zuko’s shoulders lower a bit. All he has to do is write a few essays by himself? That’s fine; Zuko’s pretty good at essays, especially analysis ones. But then Professor Kuei starts talking again, and Zuko’s shoulders are up even higher than they were before.

“You guys are going to work on your essays in pairs! A welcome change, don’t you think?” He chuckles. “I’ve assigned the pairs already and will read them out loud. Please keep your partner’s name in mind.”

Kuei starts reading off the pairs, and eventually Zuko hears his name called. It’s followed by… Sokka’s.

Zuko actually doesn’t know much about Sokka, despite having shared at least one class with him for nearly the past two years.

What he does know, however, is that Sokka is kind of ridiculously handsome. Dark skin paired with the bluest pair of eyes Zuko has ever seen, with cheekbones to die for and a constant smile on his face. Not to mention an incredibly passionate, warm-hearted, kind person.

Zuko doesn’t necessarily have a crush on him, but he can acknowledge that the guy is good-looking, and he wouldn’t be opposed to going on a date with him. _As if someone like Sokka would even look your way,_ he thinks to himself with a self-deprecating snort, slumping over his desk again.

Now done with reading out all the pairs, Professor Kuei says, “Starting next class, all of you will have to sit next to your partners in order to bond and get to know each other better.” The bell rings, and he ushers everyone out. “Class dismissed!”

Zuko can’t help but think dryly that he’d much rather bond with a guillotine as he shoves his earbuds in his ears. The opening riff of I’m Not Okay (I Promise) starts playing as he flips his hood over his head. _MCR, huh?_ He thinks with a sigh. Oddly fitting, though he doesn’t particularly need a reminder about his unfortunate emo phase.

As he walks back to his dorm, Zuko cranks up the volume, intent on ignoring the fact that he somehow not only got partnered with the single person in that class who he thinks about in a positive light, but also has to spend a _lot_ of time with that person over the course of a few months.

Fuck.

~!~

Zuko’s the first student to arrive at the classroom next class. Professor Kuei notices him in the doorway and smiles.

“Zuko! Come in! Lovely to see your face today.”

Zuko smiles back, taking out an earbud. “Nice to see you too, Professor.” He looks around the room, fiddling with the strap of his bag. The desks have all been rearranged into pairs. “Are there assigned seats? You said we have to sit next to our partners last class.”

“Nope,” Kuei says, pushing up his glasses. “You just have to sit next to each other.”  
Zuko nods and moves towards his usual seat at the very left of the classroom, striking up a conversation. “How are you doing today, Professor?”

“Pretty good, actually! There aren’t too many things to grade for once, and a break is actually in sight.” Kuei chuckles, leaning back in his chair and stretching. “Thank you for asking. How are you doing, Zuko?”

“Good,” Zuko hums as he shrugs off his coat and drapes it over his chair and sits down, though he keeps his hood up. “I had time to finish all my homework last night and got a good amount of sleep, which is always nice.” He doesn’t bring up the fact that he’s been stressing out about this class because his midterm grade basically depends on being able to talk to Sokka without looking like a complete and utter buffoon. (His mind had conjured multiple nightmares where Zuko had failed his midterm because Sokka had hated him and refused to work together.)

“That’s wonderful!” Kuei enthuses, and Zuko smiles, nodding.

The professor turns to greet more students, and Zuko takes out his earbuds with a miniscule sigh, dreading the beginning of class and the moment Sokka sees his scar.

Speaking of Sokka, he usually would have arrived by now. Zuko looks around the mostly-filled classroom with a slight frown, but he sees no telltale flash of the blue color that Sokka always manages to incorporate into his outfits.

Sokka doesn’t rush into class until two minutes after class has officially started, when Professor Kuei has just started to wrap up his intro to today’s class. He pauses to raise an eyebrow at Sokka.

“Good to see you, Sokka,” he says in an extremely mellow voice.

Sokka looks a bit sheepish. “Sorry I’m late, Prof.”

“Happens to the best of us,” Kuei says with a quirk of his lips. He nods towards Zuko. “Your partner’s Zuko, if I remember correctly?”

“He is,” Sokka says, his body beginning to turn towards Zuko. Zuko looks away at that point, spine ramrod straight and staring down at the grain on his desk as he hears footsteps get closer and closer.

“Hey,” comes Sokka’s voice from his right side. Zuko steels himself and raises his head with a half smile, nodding at Sokka.

Sokka hasn’t sat down yet, and he has an unreadable expression on his face, eyes flickering over Zuko’s face.

Zuko looks back down, wincing inwardly and pretending that Sokka’s reaction hadn’t hurt. At least he hadn’t stared outright at it. “Sorry,” he mutters, just loud enough for Sokka to hear, brushing his hair over his scar to hide it. “It’s a lot to take in.”

Sokka looks surprised for some reason, but he shakes himself out of it relatively quickly and gives Zuko his trademark smile. “I just thought you were really cute,” he blurts.

Zuko immediately turns bright red and stares at the desk again. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots a similar blush on Sokka’s cheeks, though it’s nowhere as obvious as his own. (It’s almost as if he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.) Thankfully, they’re interrupted by Professor Kuei, who’s looking over at the two of them.

“No talking during lecture, boys.”

Zuko can only focus on what Sokka said, mind whirling. _I’m not cute,_ he grumbles to himself, glaring down at the wood of his desk while he tries furiously to ignore the heat in his face.

He hears Sokka drop his bag onto the floor with a heavy thunk (what the hell does that guy carry around? Bricks? And _how_ does he carry that around all day?), and out of the corner of his eye, sees the chair next to his own get pulled out. With a slight wince as the legs screech against the floor, Sokka spins the chair around and sits on it backwards.

Zuko quirks an eyebrow at Sokka, who just grins before resting his chin on his hands, eyes focused on Professor Kuei. Zuko allows himself two seconds of gazing at the side profile of the other before tuning back into the lecture himself.

Professor Kuei is just finishing up his explanation on what he expects from each pair for the midterms. Nothing too important, Zuko realizes. All the information is on the paper that had been on everyone’s desks at the beginning of class.

“I’ve decided to go easy on you guys today, so this class will be a work period. Get to know your partners, hash out a plan of attack for those essays. You guys have got this in the bag. Good luck!”

As chatter fills the room around them, Sokka turns to face Zuko, a pretty smile on his face. “So what’s our plan, partner? Are we working on these individually, or together?”

“Um.” Zuko tries not to short-circuit at the fact that he’s kinda ridiculously close to the guy that he’s been admiring for the past semester (for _purely aesthetic purposes_ , thank you very much). He pushes down his gay freakout feelings for the time being and focuses on the paper in front of him instead, looking at it critically. One of the points on the scoring rubric is “establishes a strong relationship with the assigned partner,” and Zuko points to it. “Probably together.”

Sokka nods after reading the passage Zuko had pointed out. Eyes skimming over that entire row, Sokka makes a face. “We’re being graded on our ability to _socialize_? What’s the point of that?”

Zuko flashes Sokka a glance. “Are you bad at that or something? Because you don’t seem like you are.”

Sokka shakes his head, still frowning at the rubric. “I’m not bad at talking to people, no. Pretty much the opposite, in fact.” He looks up briefly to smile at Zuko as he scratches the back of his head. “But this is kinda…” he trails off, then takes a deep breath. “I just think that people shouldn’t be graded on their ability to speak. They could have brilliant ideas but just have trouble getting them across, whether it be because of a speech impairment or something like social anxiety, you know?”

“...Oh,” Zuko says. Fuck, Sokka’s more compassionate and kind than he’d expected.

Sokka’s eyeing Zuko warily, a bit judgmentally. “I didn’t scare you off, did I?”

“No!” Zuko says quickly, eye widening a bit. _God forbid._ “I just… I haven’t met anybody who’s said anything like that. Who’s so considerate of others and their issues.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”  
“Man, that’s kinda fucked. There should be more people in the world who actually _care_ about others instead of being egotistical dickheads.”

Zuko huffs out a laugh. “Tell me about it,” he mutters, various people’s faces flashing through his mind. He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment and refocuses, taking a few breaths and resettling his heartbeat. “Okay, how are we doing these essays?”

Sokka’s face lightens up, and the two of them segue into a conversation discussing the most efficient way to write the essays, eventually getting started on the first one, falling into sync easily.

It barely feels like 30 minutes has gone by when Professor Kuei lets them all go, ten minutes before the scheduled end of class. “No more work periods after today, though!” He warns them, waving as his students leave the classroom.

As soon as they’ve closed the door behind them, Sokka has his phone out and is tapping away on it. Zuko doesn’t know why he’s hurt by this - it’s a fucking assigned project. It’s not like Sokka’s obligated to become best friends with Zuko just because they got a decent amount of work done.

Zuko turns away and starts striding towards his dorm, shoving his earbuds in as he hits ‘play’ on his phone. Before The Amity Affliction’s even been blasting for more than 20 seconds, though, he feels a hand grab his left shoulder none too gently.

His heart rate spiking immediately as adrenaline starts pumping, Zuko whips around and has the person’s arm pinned behind their back before he can register the already-familiar wolftail and blue jacket.

“Whoa!” The person all but shrieks, holding extremely still in the way that only prey can. “...Zuko?” He asks.

Zuko forces his hands to unclench, taking a silent deep breath before letting go of Sokka, both of them taking a step back.

“Sorry,” Zuko offers, eyes on the ground, heart slowing down. Shit, has he fucked this up already?

“No, dude, you’re good,” comes Sokka’s reply. “No worries.” Zuko chances a look up, and Sokka’s smiling, something in his eyes that’s calculating. They’re not cold though, like how his father’s (and later Azula’s) always had been. More curious, like Zuko’s something- someone that Sokka might want to get to know better.

There’s a brief silence afterwards, and Zuko finds himself talking in order to try and fill it. “It’s just kinda instinct. Better safe than sorry, my uncle always says.”

Sokka hums in understanding, then seems to debate something. “Is it… because of your scar?”

Zuko’s taken aback slightly. Most people never bring up his scar, probably thinking that it’s nicer if they don’t. Truth be told, it doesn’t bother him much as long as they’re not super intrusive questions; the glances of pity that are constantly sent his way are bounds worse.

“Shit, sorry.” Sokka is quick to apologize, eyes wide. “That was way out of line. I’m really sorry.”

This time Zuko’s the one to reassure the other. “It’s fine. I was just surprised.” He isn’t really sure of whether he knows Sokka well enough, but he seems trustworthy, so fuck it. “And to answer your question, yeah. I can’t see much out of my left eye, and my hearing in my left ear is impaired. Looking at me, I’m obviously an easy target, so I learned self defense.” He grimaces. “I didn’t hold back because I thought you were a mugger. Sorry if your arm hurts.”

Sokka waves a hand around flippantly with a grin, seeming to know that Zuko doesn’t want to touch upon the topic of his scar much. “Toph has done worse to me. Come to think of it, so has Katara.”

“Katara?” Zuko asks. He’s heard of the fierce environmental sciences major, whose reputation precedes her. Apparently she’s incredibly protective and motherly, not to mention stubborn and quite the feminist. Zuko’s quite frankly a bit scared of her. (So how does Sokka know her? Girlfriend? Together, the two of them are likely to be unstoppable, and she seems to match Sokka’s passion.) (Zuko pretends to not notice the pang of envy that rushes through his chest when he thinks about Sokka having a girlfriend.)

“Yeah,” Sokka confirms. “She’s my sister, which is apparently synonymous to ‘person who yells at me a lot because I make bad jokes.’ Toph is a friend of mine, and she claims to show affection through punches.”

Zuko’s startled into laughter, still reeling over the fact that Sokka and Katara are related - which explains their similar drives a lot, come to think of it - and Sokka grins. A beat later, he holds his phone out, which is open to a ‘new contact’ page. “I almost forgot to mention that the reason I risked being late and chased after you in the first place was to get your number. We should probably plan a time and place to meet again.”

Zuko takes the phone and types in his information quickly, passing it back to Sokka when he’s done. Sokka looks down at the screen and raises his eyebrows, flicking a glance at Zuko.

“Hinote? Are you Japanese?” He pronounces Zuko’s surname correctly, which is surprising.

Zuko just nods, at a loss for what to say.

“Cool,” Sokka says with a grin, tapping something on the screen. A second later, Zuko’s phone starts buzzing, and Sokka taps again on his screen. The buzzing stops. “Now you have my number too!” He winks, then checks his phone and winces. “And now I’m late. Smell ya later, Zukes!”

And with that, Zuko’s left standing 30 meters away from the English building, a single earbud in his left ear as he admires the human hurricane that is Sokka Sikuliaq. With a quick exhale, Zuko inserts the other earbud and walks to his dorm with a lightheartedness that only comes with getting an attractive person’s number.

Maybe this project won’t be so bad after all.

**~!~**

Sokka texts Zuko a day later, asking if he’s free on Saturday at noon.

Zuko checks his calendar and realizes with a sinking stomach that he has lunch with an acquaintance planned, then realizes that he can just cancel it - it’s not like the two of them are too close. So he cancels with no small bit of relief, claiming that an incredibly important event has come up. (Hanging out with his crush is important, okay?) The acquaintance seems to believe it, and thankfully hasn’t made any moves to reschedule.

Zuko texts back after an hour (a whole hour!) of waiting that he has no plans after 11 am, except for maybe homework.

Sokka’s response is basically instantaneous, and makes Zuko glad that he’d turned off read receipts for their conversation immediately after he’d first opened Sokka’s first message. Sokka asks for Zuko to come to his ‘humble abode’ on Saturday at 12 PM, sending an address as well. When Zuko reads that message, he hides his grin even though nobody’s in the room with him, pretending that his heartbeat hasn’t gotten faster.

~!~

On Saturday, Zuko gets to the address Sokka had given him, and frowns at the paper down in his hand. Why is he at a house? Does Sokka live here by himself? Or is this some kind of prank?

Sokka doesn’t seem the type of person to purposefully mislead people (well, not really), so Zuko takes a deep breath and knocks on the pure white door.

Someone he doesn’t recognize opens the door partway, wedging her body between the doorframe and the door. Yelling and laughter pours out from the house, and Zuko can’t help but think for a moment that being a part of that mess might be nice.

The girl narrows her eyes at Zuko for a second, then seems to realize something, sticking her head back into the house. “Sokka! Your classmate’s here!” She assesses Zuko then. Seemingly satisfied, she opens the door all the way, nodding at him. “I’m Katara, Sokka’s sister.”

“Zuko.” He nods back a bit awkwardly at her, fiddling with his backpack strap. How had he not noticed the similarities between her and Sokka before? Same dark skin, same bright blue eyes. _Sokka’s better looking,_ he thinks for a second before he stomps that thought down.

Just as Zuko’s gotten that thought out of his head, there’s a thunk upstairs with the yell, “What’d you say, Katara?”

Katara snorts and turns around to go into the back of the house, leaving Zuko in the doorway.

Sokka comes thumping downstairs, and Zuko awkwardly raises a hand to wave, dropping it almost immediately. _Why’d I do that?_ He groans to himself, just barely managing not to facepalm.

“Zuko!” Sokka’s face brightens and he descends the rest of the stairs quickly. “Hey man, come in. We have snacks!”

“...I thought it would only be the two of us,” is all Zuko comes up with.

“Disappointed?” Sokka winks, walking towards Zuko from the staircase. “I can get us a room if you’d like.”

Zuko swears all the blood in his body rushes to his face as he starts spluttering. Is Sokka like this to _everyone_ he meets? He finally manages to choke out, “Not like that! I just wasn’t expecting… this many people to be here.” He cringes as something falls inside the house.

Sokka grins, having reached the front door by now. “The gang’s having a study session! I figured it would be easiest to introduce you to my friends this way.”

Zuko frowns. “Why do you need to introduce me to your friends?”

Sokka looks decidedly shifty for a second, but he shrugs soon enough. “Why not?” He raises an eyebrow, a smile on his face. “Scared of my friends?”

Zuko crosses his arms, shifting his weight into his left leg. “No,” he says shortly. “Just unsure as to whether or not I actually want to meet them.” He looks at Sokka, as if to say _See?_ when there’s another crash inside the house.

Sokka laughs. “That’s just Toph. She isn’t that scary. Now, come on. You’re letting in all the cold air!” He reaches out, and Zuko’s dragged over the threshold as the door closes behind him. Sokka starts down the hallway, towards what’s presumably the living room and also the cause of all the noise that Zuko had heard in the foyer.

“Nice house,” Zuko says, his mouth moving without his permission. “Very… cozy. I like the decorations.” And he really does; the walls are covered with various ocean-related paintings and artifacts, along with photos of what look like younger versions of Sokka and Katara.

Sokka glances over his shoulder at Zuko, a somewhat surprised look on his face. “Thanks. GranGran chose them.” He faces forward again as the pair enter the living room, spreading his arms wide. “Sup gang! Meet the guy I told y’all about.”

Zuko cringes as every head in the room turns to look at him. He recognizes Katara sitting next to a wide-eyed boy in a bright orange beanie. There’s a girl sprawled on the ground in front of them, various things scattered around her. Zuko feels like he should recognize her, for some reason.

“Hi!” The boy chirps, flashing a friendly smile at Zuko. “You’re Zuko, right?” He barely waits for Zuko’s nod - how much has Sokka told his friends about Zuko? - before he goes on to introduce everyone. “I’m Aang! This is Katara, that’s Toph” - he points to the girl on the ground - “and- Oh. I guess you’ve already met Sokka.”

Zuko blinks. “Um. Yeah. He’s- We were paired together for a class project.”

“Cool!” Aang looks extremely happy to be studying, Zuko thinks.

Thankfully, Sokka jumps in before things can get any more awkward. “Well, let’s get started on those sexy essays, yeah?” He grins at Zuko.

“I. Yeah. Sure,” Zuko gets out, unable to get over Sokka saying the word ‘sexy.’ His face feels unnaturally warm.

“Great!” Sokka grabs Zuko’s arm, seemingly unaware of how every single one of his touches short-circuits Zuko’s brain. Zuko stumbles over to a spot on the floor that Sokka’s apparently chosen. “Move your butt, Toph,” Sokka orders, though a smile is obvious in his voice. He still hasn’t let go of Zuko’s arm.

“You’re making the blind girl move?” Toph complains, though she moves her stuff.

At those words, something clicks in Zuko’s mind and he can recall a gala he’d attended where there had been a girl standing next to her parents, clouded green eyes focused on nothing, a black lab sitting patiently by her side.

And as Toph looks up, Zuko recognizes those same eyes, though the girl in a light green dress with gems in her hair seems a far cry from the one in a plain green hoodie and jeans, sprawled on the ground at his feet.

“Beifong,” Zuko greets as he sits down, his belt chain clanking.

As the night had progressed, Toph’s parents had sat her down in a chair near Zuko’s, since he’d been the only one there who had been even remotely close to her age. (Azula hadn’t been there for some reason. Zuko can’t recall why.) From there, conversation between the two had flowed surprisingly well, but neither of them had exchanged contact information. At the end of the night, Zuko had almost been saddened by the fact that he’d missed a chance to keep a new friend. Then the girl had gotten shoved to the back of his mind with everything else he’d deemed unimportant after he’d… moved out.

But here Toph is, her face angled up at Zuko with a raised eyebrow. Slowly, a grin starts taking over her face. “Holy shit. Sparky? Thought I’d never hear your voice again!” She punches Zuko in the arm.

Sokka’s looking between the two of them, an unreadable expression on his face. “You two know each other already?”

“We’ve met,” Zuko says, rubbing his arm. Jesus, Toph hits harder than he remembers.

Sokka seems to accept that as an answer, though he looks at Zuko with a smirk as he sits down. “Sparky, huh? What’s the story behind _that_ nickname?”

Zuko buries his face in his hands with a groan as Toph cackles next to him. “Nothing you want to hear,” he grumbles.

“It’s a hilarious story!” Toph hoots, but Zuko bonks her lightly on the head before she can get into it, face turning slightly pink.

“It is _not,_ ” he insists stubbornly.

Sokka snorts next to him, but seems to take pity on Zuko and opens his computer. “I’ll make sure to ask Toph for the story later,” he smiles as Zuko rolls his eyes, biting back a smile of his own.

The two of them get to work, and it’s way easier and painless than Zuko had anticipated it to be. Before he knows it, three hours have passed, and an alarm on Sokka’s phone goes off.

Sokka straightens and jumps off the floor. “It’s three! Boba time!” he all but yells.

Zuko blinks at Sokka, hands still poised over his keyboard, but Sokka just smiles.

“Put everything away, Zukoboy! We’re getting bubble tea!” Zuko watches, bemused, as Sokka starts dancing.

“...We are?” He finally asks.

“Yep!” Sokka beams. “It’s a tradition the four of us have. After each of our study sessions, we go get boba.”

Ah. It’s a friend group thing. Sokka’s telling Zuko he should leave, albeit in a subtler way than most people would.

Zuko nods and begins packing his things into his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. “I’ll leave you four to it. See you Tuesday, Sokka?”

“What?” Sokka’s expression turns from confused to mildly panicked in one second. “Wait, no, don’t go! Don’t you want to come with us?”

Zuko balks. “I don’t want to intrude,” he starts uncertainly, flicking his eyes towards Aang and Katara, who are leaving the room already.

“You won’t be! I promise!” Sokka insists. “Please come with us. Please?” He elongates the last word and gives Zuko a pleading face, and- God. That face should be illegal.

Zuko crumbles. “Fine,” he finds himself muttering.

Sokka’s face brightens considerably, and Zuko has to pretend that he doesn’t find it cute. “Yes!” Sokka crows.

“Are you coming or not, Captain Boomerang?” Toph yells from the front door. (When had she gotten over there?)

“We’re coming, we’re coming!” Sokka calls back.

“ _Captain Boomerang?_ ” Zuko asks, incredulous.

Sokka, for his part, looks a bit evasive. “That’s not important. Come on, Zuko, we’re going to the best boba place in the whole _world_.”

In retrospect, Zuko shouldn’t be surprised that they’re at his uncle’s tea shop. The Jasmine Dragon is Iroh’s pride and joy, and becoming rather popular now that Iroh’s added bubble tea to the already extensive menu.

The owner himself had been helping serve the customers, so he spots Zuko quickly.

“Zuko!” he greets, face breaking into a warm smile as he pulls his nephew into a hug. “Good to see you! And with some familiar faces as well.” He turns the smile onto everyone else.

“First Toph, now Iroh?” Sokka asks, gaping at Zuko. “Man, you know everyone!”

“Not really,” Zuko mumbles as the group is ushered towards the counter.

“Sure as hell seems like it,” Sokka returns, smiling easily. He turns to place his order before Zuko can respond, but when he reaches for his wallet, Zuko offers,

“I’ll pay. For all of us.”

Three surprised pairs of eyes land on him. “Really?” Aang asks.

Zuko shrugs, willing his cheeks not to color. “You guys let me join you. It’s the least I can do.”

“Hell yeah! Free drinks!” Toph cheers. “Thanks, Sparky,” she says as she pushes past him.

Zuko smiles slightly, stepping back to let the others order. Sokka elbows Zuko with a grin. “Cute _and_ a gentleman. What’s a guy supposed to do?”

Zuko flushes, but he’s saved from responding by his uncle.

“The usual, nephew?” Iroh asks, smile a bit too knowing. Zuko narrows his eyes at his uncle but only gets a calm smile in return.

He sighs and nods, resigning himself to a morning full of questions about his love life the next time the two of them have brunch. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

With their orders placed and everything paid for, the group finds a booth to sit at.

“Have I ever mentioned how much I love that there are pride flags hanging up all over the place?” Sokka asks as he leans back. “It makes the whole place seem really inclusive and homey. I like it.”

Zuko hums. “Uncle is a very accepting person. I think he put them up because I came out to him.” His heart starts pounding like it always does when he mentions his sexuality, but nobody in the group reacts poorly. Not that he’d particularly expected them to, but… he’s had bad experiences.

“That’s really nice of him,” Aang pipes up. Zuko smiles and nods.

“Hey, that’s my flag!” Sokka says after a brief silence as he points to the bisexual flag hanging in the window.

Zuko decides to play along, “That one’s mine,” he says, pointing his chin at the classic rainbow flag, faded from years of being in the sun. “It was the first to go up.”

The group continues their conversation, though Zuko mostly remains quiet, wondering if he’d imagined the look of relief that had passed over Sokka’s face. Why would Sokka care about his sexuality? Zuko chalks it up to his lack of social skills and ability to read people’s faces, listening to the conversation that’s going on at the table.

After a few minutes, a server shows up and places their drinks on the table, along with a plate of cookies.

“On the house. They’re from Iroh,” she tells them with a friendly smile before whisking away.

“Thanks for paying, Zuko,” Katara says with a smile.

Zuko looks in her direction, surprised that she’d mention it, when Sokka says, “A toast! To Zuko and his willingness to buy shit for us.”

He raises his drink, and everyone follows suit. Zuko turns bright red, unsure of how to react.

“I- thanks? It was really no problem. Thanks for letting me tag along.”

Sokka laughs, bumping his shoulder into Zuko’s. “You’re stuck with us now. We like you too much to ever let you go.”

Zuko turns an even brighter shade of red somehow, and he opens and closes his mouth, unsure of how to react. He sees Katara raise an eyebrow at Sokka out of the corner of his eye, but can’t figure out what it means. Before he can attempt to puzzle it out, though, Toph punches him in the arm. (Again. Jeez, he’s going to have permanent bruises if he’s to hang out with her.)

“Sokka’s right, Sparky. You’re stuck with us from now on.”

Zuko, having recovered from his blush, relaxes a bit. “If you’re sure you want me there,” he says a bit meekly.

“Of course we do,” Katara says warmly.

Aang nods earnestly. “You should come by to our study sessions more often! It’ll be fun.”

Zuko dips his head, pleasantly surprised and a bit flattered that everyone seems to like him enough to invite him to their study sessions, which are obviously pretty important to them. And after only knowing most of them for a mere three hours, too.

“Thanks,” he says, not looking up yet. “I’ll, uh. Yeah. I’ll do that. Come around, I mean.”

“Good!” Zuko squeaks when Sokka slings an arm over him, the arm a new (but not unwelcome) weight on Zuko’s shoulders. Sokka continues, oblivious. “Besides, we still have a shit ton of our project to get through. You’re coming over, whether you want to or not.”

Zuko pulls a face. “Don’t remind me. We barely got anything done today.”

Sokka tilts his head, looking at Zuko. Zuko, finding his face a lot closer to Sokka’s than he’d expected, only registers the pure blue of Sokka’s eyes before he’s looking away again. “I think we got a decent amount done. Even if we hadn’t, we still have plenty of time until the due date, _Sparky._ ”

“Hey!” Zuko splutters as everyone at the table starts snickering. He mock-glares at Toph. “This is your fault,” he grumbles.

A loud burst of laughter is her only answer, and Zuko shakes his head, though he’s smiling. He could get used to this feeling of warmness in his chest as he listens to everyone laugh, Sokka’s arm around his shoulders.

~!~

After a month or two, Zuko realizes that he’s somehow been inducted into the gang without noticing.

He always gets a greeting from everyone whenever they see him (or hear him somehow, in Toph’s case. Zuko’s still not entirely sure how she manages to do that), and he starts waving at them when he sees them first, which is always received well.

Even Katara, who had been lukewarm at best when first talking to him, seems like she genuinely enjoys his company, even going as far as to buy him a Monster Energy drink when he’d been studying at the Jasmine Dragon. Upon looking up, Zuko had seen the can with the note, “I’m not giving you more than one at a time because that amount of caffeine has to be unbelievably bad for you. That being said, good luck. -Katara.”

(He’d smiled, cracking it open, and texted Katara a thank you. Her reply had come half an hour later, reading _please don’t tell me you’ve had more than one can today._ He’d responded with _ok. i wont tell you that,_ and had received a bottle of water with a glare the next time he saw Katara. He’d grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes.)

When he eventually realizes that everyone in the gang genuinely does like him, Zuko stops declining invitations and instead starts accepting them whenever he can.

He brings it up to Sokka one day, when they’re doing homework in the library together.

“Do I count as part of your uh, friend group?”

“Hm?” Sokka looks up from his work, then stares at Zuko as if he’s dense. “Duh. Why else do you think you’re invited to literally all of our meetups?”

“...Our project?” Zuko offers weakly, even though they’re done with all but one of their essays at this point.

Sokka snorts and shakes his head. “Nah, man. You’re a part of the gang now, like it or not. Everyone likes you.”

 _Huh,_ Zuko thinks to himself.

And if he starts treating everyone a bit more like friends rather than classmates from then on, nobody mentions it.


	2. hey emo boy (hey hey hey emo boy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> zuko gets diagnosed with eboy. you know, just gaang shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldn’t resist it SJDNDNH title from ‘emo boy’ by ayesha erotica
> 
> i was originally gonna post this on sunday but friday's close enough right

When Zuko checks his phone after a class, he finds 248 new messages.

Zuko: guys wtf why do i have 250 notifications from you guys and you guys alone

Toph: You mean you don’t know what’s today?

Zuko: um.  
Zuko: should i?

Aang: There’s a pep rally today! Suki texted in order to remind us

Toph: As if we’d miss a chance to watch Boomerang dance

Zuko: he dances??

Toph: You didn’t know, Sparky?

Zuko: hes mentioned it in passing but i thought he meant like fortnite dances

Toph: LMFAO  
Toph: I bet he can Fortnite dance too

Katara: he can’t. i’ve seen him try a rather unfortunate number of times

Suki: He’s good at dancing, though. Leader of dance team approved

Zuko: speaking of which what does sokka dancing have anything to do with the pep rally

Toph: Oh my god you know nothing what the fuck

Suki: The dance team always dances at the pep rally  
Suki: Which means Sokka is going to dance at the pep rally

Zuko: hes on the dance team????

Toph: Bruh

Zuko: i told you, i thought he meant fortnite dancing

Sokka: Zuko im going to pretend that you never said anything about me fortnite dancing  
Sokka: Because quite frankly im offended  
Sokka: And katara you didnt have to expose me like this! Why did you do that! I can fortnite dance!!

Zuko: please don’t try and prove it to us.

Sokka: Ouch :(  
Sokka: But yeah come to the pep rally! Its gonna be on the football field, suki and i will be shaking our asses and you guys get to cheer us on! Afterwards nobody cares if we leave so we always go to the jasmine dragon and play cards against humanity

Suki: I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: dancing is not just shaking your ass

Sokka: Youre right theres also a lot of harlem shaking going on

Suki: Smh  
Suki: Why do I bother with you, Sokka  
Suki: As for the rest of you, I’ll see you guys later. Looking forward to meeting you, Zuko!

Zuko: same here. see yall later.

Later that day, Zuko makes his way to the football field after twenty minutes of walking around and a countless number of wrong turns. Jeez, he’s really late.

When he finally gets to the football field, he’s met with a wall of sound and color: people are everywhere, grouped together seemingly by color. Chatter and laughter fills the air, and Zuko can smell hot dogs for some reason. From somewhere nearby, he hears Aang’s voice yell, “Zuko! Over here!”

As he looks around, Zuko spots Aang waving from the very front of a set of bleachers from his spot between Katara and Toph, and makes his way over there, noting that nothing seems to be going on at the moment - there are a lot of people on the field, but they all seem to be doing various warm-ups.

“Hey, Zuko,” Katara greets with a smile.

“Hi,” Zuko says with a smile, which turns into a wince when Toph punches his arm. There’s a seat to the right of her, so Zuko takes it after checking surreptitiously for bird shit, which somehow always makes its way onto bleacher seats.

“Ready for the ass shaking, Sparky?” Toph asks as she raises an eyebrow, facing straight ahead.

“And the Harlem shaking,” Zuko says with a sigh as he digs out his earbuds, plugging them into his phone. Just in case. “Tell me why I’m surrounded by all these… brightly colored people again?”

“It’s a rally, Zuko! Aren’t you excited?” Aang asks, not sarcastic in the slightest.

Zuko stares. “...Not really,” he says eventually. “My eyes hurt.”

“A little color has never hurt anybody,” Katara admonishes.

“You don’t know that,” Zuko mumbles. Katara ignores him pointedly, face brightening as she spots someone on the field.

“Look, there’s Suki!” She points towards someone who’s leading a group of people who are all wearing the same shirt in some sort of warmup. Zuko spots Sokka almost immediately; he’s front and center, in his own world as he follows the warmup.

Soon enough, the dance team finishes warming up and Sokka’s dragging Suki by the arm towards where Zuko and the others are sitting with a grin on his face. Once the two reach them, Suki smiles at Zuko while Sokka starts talking excitedly about something to the others.

“You’re Zuko, right?” She asks. Zuko nods, and Suki continues. “I’m Suki. Sokka’s told me a lot about you.”

“Really?” Zuko feels like he should know more about the others, since Sokka apparently talks about people in his life often.

“Yep.” Suki looks a bit amused for some reason. “It’s nice to meet you physically, even though you seemed to not know the slightest things about our dance team and rallies in general.” Suki smiles teasingly, and Zuko cracks a small smile as well, shrugging.

“Yeah, I usually avoid rallies. And to be completely honest, I wasn’t even aware that we have a dance team.”

“Well, we do, and Suki and I are both in it!” Sokka buts in, slinging an arm over Suki’s shoulders.

“I know that _now_.” Zuko rolls his eyes, though he’s smiling. “But I’m still not sure whether you can actually dance.”

Suki checks her watch and raises an eyebrow. “You’re about to find out.” She spins out of Sokka’s hold, tugging his wrist and dropping it as she starts walking back to the center of the football field.

Sokka follows after her more slowly, and as he gets farther away from the bleachers, he turns to flash Zuko a grin over his shoulder before he finally starts jogging to join the rest of the team.

The dance team is announced, the music starts, and the team - the Kyoshi Warriors, as the announcement had called them - bursts into motion.

Zuko, though he tries to watch the entire team, still seeks out Sokka. And he’s actually not that bad, Zuko is quick to realize. While some of his moves seem a bit abrupt, they’re all sharp and on-time. He obviously practices a lot. Where he finds the time, Zuko isn’t quite sure.

Toph’s elbow in his arm distracts Zuko. “Is there any ass shaking going on?” she asks, face completely straight.

Zuko tries not to laugh and fails. “Not that I’ve seen, no. No Harlem shaking either.”

“You sure?” Zuko looks over at Toph to find that she has an eyebrow raised. “You haven’t been distracted by anyone?”

Zuko side-eyes her, trying to come up with a denial that doesn’t sound too suspicious, but he’s saved by the team finishing their routine, bowing to a healthy amount of cheers and applause.

Another student group is quickly announced, but Zuko and the others focus on the now slightly sweaty Sokka and Suki, who have made their way in front of them again.

“Great job, guys!” Aang enthuses. “I loved that!”

“You all were amazing,” Katara adds.

Suki grins. “Thanks, guys. We worked hard.”

Meanwhile, a grinning Sokka slides into the empty seat on the right side of Zuko.

“Well? How good am I at dancing? What’s your rating?”

Zuko ignores the traitorous flutter of his stomach in favor of raising an eyebrow at the other, pretending to think. “You’re okay, I guess,” he says a bit reluctantly, but the pulling up of his lips gives him away.

Sokka plays along, pouting, a sparkle in his eye. “Just okay? I’m phenomenal at dancing, Zuke. Everyone here can testify. Right, guys?”

“Sure, Sokka,” Suki says, scrolling on her phone.

Sokka makes a sound not unlike a strangled seal. “Betrayal! Suki, you’re supposed to back me up here! We’re on the same dance team!”

Suki doesn’t look up from her phone, simply raising an eyebrow as she continues scrolling. “What’s your point?”

Zuko stifles a snort, and that’s enough for Toph to start cackling. Everyone else soon joins in, and while Sokka’s shaking his head with an indulgent smile on his face, Zuko bumps their shoulders together.

“You’re actually really good,” he says quietly, a smile lingering on his face.

Sokka looks at him, eyes bright. “Yeah?” he asks.

Zuko nods, and Sokka’s smile widens. He bumps Zuko’s shoulder back, arm coming up to squeeze him around the shoulders tightly. “Thanks, buddy. Means a lot to me.”

Normally, Zuko would protest being called ‘buddy,’ but he finds that he doesn’t mind if it comes from Sokka. “No problem,” he responds quietly, a small, content smile on his face. “Buddy,” he tacks on as an afterthought.

Sokka laughs, a warm unconstrained thing, and Zuko wants to make him laugh like that for as long as he can.

The moment is interrupted by Suki, who’s gotten off her phone and is now stretching. “Are we still going to the Jasmine Dragon? I’m seriously craving some taro tea right now.”

Toph is the first to stand up, and she does so with a punch in the air. “I’m always ready to see Iroh!”

Sokka stands up as well, a teasing grin on his face. “Sounds like you and Iroh have got something going on.”

Zuko makes a face, staring up at Sokka with disgust and horror. “Sokka!” He yells at the same time as Katara.

“What?” Sokka looks at them innocently. “They’ve got a good friendship!”

Zuko moans and buries his face in his hands, trying to erase his mind of the image of his friend with his not-too-old-but-old-enough-to-be-Toph’s-dad- yeah, no. “Brain bleach, please,” he groans.

Sokka laughs, and Zuko feels his hair being ruffled. He can’t be bothered to fix it, slumping even more instead. “Why’s the friendship between your friend and uncle got you so distressed?”

Zuko just shakes his head, face still in his hands.

Sokka laughs again, the bastard. “Come on, Sparky, get up. We’ve got boba to drink!” Zuko hears him move closer, but doesn’t register why until he feels two strong arms hook beneath his own, pulling him up to stand. He looks up to find that he’s _extremely_ close to Sokka. Like, two inches away from nose-to-nose close.

“I will boil your teeth,” he finds himself saying.

Sokka blinks. “...What?”

“I will boil your teeth,” Zuko repeats, face bright red as he registers the fact that A. Sokka’s face is still only a few inches away from his own, and that B. he’s somehow gotten so flustered that he’s reverted to Tumblr insults.

Aang lets out a squeak, and out of the corner of his eye Zuko can see that he has a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. Suki has looked up from her phone, horror clear on her face, and Katara is staring at Zuko in disbelief.

Sokka keeps staring at Zuko for a few incredibly long seconds. “Tumblr?” He finally asks. “Really?”

Zuko looks away in an attempt to make his face cool down. “It’s a good site,” he mumbles.

Sokka ( _finally_ ) steps away with playful skepticism written over every feature of his face. (How does he act like nothing bothers him?) “I’m sure it is.”

“Hey, does this mean Zuko had an emo phase?” Katara asks as the entire group starts walking towards the Jasmine Dragon. “He was on Tumblr, we know for a fact that he listens to My Chemical Romance, and he wears black all the time.”

“Zuko still uses Tumblr frequently,” Aang says. “I’ve seen him.”

“I think that means Zuko’s _still_ in his emo phase,” interjects Suki.

Katara gasps, a smile taking over her face. “Suki! You’re right!” She turns to Zuko. “You’re still in your emo phase!”

“I am _not_ ,” Zuko insists. “I’ve graduated from that.” He gestures to his outfit. “No emo kid would wear _this_.” He sighs. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation.”

Suki looks his outfit over with a critical eye. “No? Are you sure? Looks plenty emo to me, with the black skinny jeans and boots.”

“No!” Zuko is a bit affronted. He’s wearing a red shirt! (!!!!) “I have too many chains for my outfits to be emo. All emo kids do is wear black and cry.”

“Speaking from experience, Sparky?” Toph asks with a smirk on her face.

Might as well let them know sooner than later. “Unfortunately,” he grumbles.

This causes one hell of an uproar as the gang grinds to a stop in the middle of the - thankfully wide - sidewalk. Suki and Katara are holding onto each other as both of them laugh uncontrollably, Sokka is looking disbelievingly at Zuko, Aang looks like he’s trying not to laugh for Zuko’s sake, and Toph...

“I knew it!” Toph yells, drawing several glances from passersby. “I fucking _knew_ you were an emo kid when we first met, but I couldn’t ask what you were wearing because it was a fancy ass gala and you would’ve been wearing a suit!”

Zuko kind of wants a hole to open up in the ground and swallow him whole. “Is me being an emo kid that funny? I thought you guys would’ve guessed by now.”

“We assumed you’d been one, but we didn’t have verbal confirmation,” Katara snickers, wiping tears from her eyes. “Man, the idea of emo Zuko is too funny.”

Zuko rolls his eyes. “Point is, I’m not emo.”

“Not _anymore_ ,” Aang adds.

“...No, not anymore,” Zuko says grudgingly.

“So then what _is_ his outfit classified as?” Suki asks curiously as they start moving again. “If it has too many chains to be emo, wouldn’t it be goth?”

Katara shoots that idea down. “They wear all black, and Zuko wears red a lot, so I don’t think so. Maybe punk?”

“Too spiky,” Zuko mutters. “I’d need to be wearing more leather jackets and spikes. Also, my hair would probably be shaved.”

“Scene?” Toph offers.

“ _Way_ too bright!” Sokka yelps. “Have you ever seen photos?”

Toph pulls at her eyelids, opening her eyes wide. “I’m _blind,_ Boomerang!”

“Oh. Right.” Sokka looks suitably chastised. His eyes move to take in Zuko’s outfit, and he brightens up. “I know what Zuko is! He’s an eboy!”

“...What.” Zuko borderline glares at Sokka. “I am _not._ ”

Sokka raises his arms and grins. “Let’s ask the others. Then we’ll see.”

They take a brief break from the conversation to claim their drinks and find a spot to sit on the grass outside.

Katara starts it again with the question, “What’s an eboy?”

Toph raises an eyebrow at her. “You don’t know?”

“How do _you_ know?” is Katara’s response.

“I’m educated,” Toph says smugly. Katara makes a face.

Sokka pulls his phone out and types something into it, and Zuko watches as he shows the screen to Katara and Suki. “This. This is an eboy.”

Suki looks more and more delighted the more she looks at the screen, Katara looking approvingly over her shoulder. “Zuko, this is your exact fashion taste!” She flips the phone around to show Zuko. “Look!”

Zuko flops down onto the ground and crosses his arms, pouting. “I’m not looking at that.”

Suki shrugs, flipping the phone back. “Your loss.”

“So Zuko’s an eboy confirmed?” Sokka asks, sounding hopeful.

“Why does it matter?” Zuko all but whines.

“We want to figure out what category your fashion style falls into,” Katara says patiently, eyes still glued to Sokka’s phone screen. “The more I look at this, the more obvious it is that you’re an eboy.”

Suki nods. “Yeah, you’re definitely an eboy, Zuko.”

Zuko scrambles up onto his forearms and stares at her in betrayal. “You can’t call me an eboy! We only met today!”

She shrugs. Zuko turns to Toph, eye wide. She speaks before he can.

“From what I heard, eboy sounds close enough to your style. Eboys wear chains, and your outfit clanks every time you move.”

“Maybe he’s just wearing a full suit of armor,” Aang suggests with a shit-eating grin. Toph guffaws.

“Counterpoint!” Sokka declares. “He wouldn’t be as hot if he was wearing a full suit of armor.”

Zuko flops back down onto the ground and flings his arms over his face to hide his flushed cheeks. Sokka thinks Zuko’s hot? That can’t be right. It’s just for the sake of a joke.

“So it’s confirmed, then?” Toph asks. “Zuko’s an eboy, whatever that looks like?”

Suki nods. “He is.”

Everyone else adds their agreements as well.

“For sure.”

“Obviously.”

“He _definitely_ is.”

“Guys!” Zuko removes his hands from his face to stare at everyone, wounded. “I’m not an eboy!”

Katara gives him a knowing look. “Would you rather be called emo?”

Zuko makes a face, and she nods, smug.

“I thought so.”

“I don’t even have a TikTok,” Zuko mutters as he sits up.

Next to him, Suki’s giggling and tapping something out on her phone, and Zuko watches her warily as she fiddles with the volume and sets her phone down. Soon enough, the intro to Headfirst for Halos starts blaring, and Zuko rolls his eyes so far back he feels like they’re in danger of falling out.

“ _Really?_ ” he protests. He’s met with laughter. “You guys are mean,” he grumbles. “At least change the music to, like, metal. I said it before and I’ll say it again: I’ve graduated from emo music.”

Suki perks up. “Metal?” She asks.

Zuko raises an eyebrow. “Yeah. You got any suggestions?”

She laughs. “Do I have any suggestions? I’ve got a few. Is Rings of Saturn okay with you?”

Zuko grins. “Hell yeah.”

The music changes, and Suki leans over to bump fists with Zuko. “You’re a good kid. I approve.”

Zuko quirks up the corner of his mouth and smiles back at her. “Thanks. You’re pretty cool too, even if you have a habit of making fun of emo kids and eboys, apparently.”

She smiles and shrugs. “No, that’s just you. It’s fun watching your reaction. Feel free to make fun of me back, though. It’s no fun if it’s not a two-way street.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Zuko responds with a slight smirk.

Katara calls for Suki from where Sokka’s somehow grabbed her phone and is using his height to keep it out of her reach. “Suki! Can you get me my phone back?”

Suki laughs. “Guess I need to help defeat Sokka. I look forward to talking to you more, Zuko.”

“Same here,” Zuko says. He smiles. “Now go help Katara. She looks like she needs it.”

Suki runs off, and Katara’s phone is soon returned to its rightful owner. Katara starts lecturing Sokka, but he just raises his arms in a show of surrender and smiles. After a minute, Katara gets tired, and she sits down next to Aang, tucking her phone under her leg with a suspicious glance at Sokka.

Sokka grins as he makes his way over to Zuko and plops down next to him, bumping their shoulders together. “How ya doin’, eboy?”

“I will boil your teeth, Sokka, do not test me,” Zuko threatens, though he lets himself lean into Sokka for a second.

Sokka laughs, loud and free. “Alright, Z. Whatever you say.”

The pair sit there in comfortable silence until Toph yells something about Cards Against Humanity and pulls it out of her bag.

The gang plays, bursting into laughter often, until the sun starts setting over their heads. At that point, they all bid their goodbyes and return to their homes. Zuko walks back to his dorm, his chest a bit warmer and lighter than usual.


	3. fall into your blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the inherent romanticism of going up on top of the astrology building, just the two of you, to watch the sunset, then running away from campus security and talking about your life while snuggling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KEEP IN MIND: the f slur is dropped 2 times in this, so if you don’t wanna read it, just skip the part where zuko starts talking about his childhood. you’ll know you’re past the danger zone once the big paragraphs start disappearing
> 
> title from ‘blu’ by jon bellion

“Hey, Zuko!” Zuko doesn’t notice Sokka until the other’s on his right, the now-familiar arm slung over his shoulders. Zuko raises an eyebrow at Sokka and takes out his right earbud, letting it dangle.

“Hello to you too, Sokka.” Then he frowns. “Don’t you have some sort of practice? Or a class or… something?”

Sokka leans into Zuko lightly and Zuko tries not to trip over his feet or stare too obviously at his face. “Not today! It got cancelled, so I came to find my favorite project partner after my favorite class.”

Zuko raises his eyebrow at Sokka, hoping that the skepticism comes through clearly. “Kuei’s class can’t be your favorite. Isn’t it just to fill the requirements?”

“Well, yeah.” Sokka scrunches his face up in thought, shadows passing over his face as they pass under a bunch of trees and continue walking. To where, Zuko isn’t paying attention. “But I really do like the class. Kuei’s a good teacher, and really understanding to boot. Just ‘cause his class is to fill a requirement doesn’t mean that you can’t like it, you know?” Bright sapphire eyes meet Zuko’s gold.

“Sure,” Zuko says, unable to hold Sokka’s gaze for too long.

Sokka just smiles and turns his head away again, taking his arm off Zuko’s shoulders, which feel cold all of a sudden. “That being said, his class isn’t my favorite. I don’t really think I have one. All my classes are great, and so are my professors.”

“That’s pretty rare,” Zuko comments, voice echoing as they pass under an overpass. “Most people hate at least one of their classes.”

Sokka shrugs. “I guess. It’s kinda disheartening how some people hate so many of their classes, though. College is the only time you get to build your class schedule around things you like.”

“Some people get forced into majors they don’t like,” Zuko points out, hopping over a puddle. He and Sokka fall in step again, leaves crunching under their feet, this time with Zuko on the right.

“Yeah, and I hate how parents can do that. They shouldn’t force their children to be miserable just because they want to see them live out the dreams that they couldn’t.”

Zuko glances at Sokka. “That’s pretty specific.”

Sokka’s mouth curls up into a rueful smile. “It’s just a trend that I’ve noticed a lot among parents of a few people I know.”

Zuko can’t think of a response to that, so the two of them walk in silence, their footsteps matching.

“Hey, where are we going?” Sokka asks suddenly.

Zuko stops walking. “I thought you were going somewhere?”

Sokka looks at him, incredulous. “I was following _you_! I thought it was obvious!”

Zuko snorts and starts laughing, unable to stop himself. After a moment, Sokka joins in, holding onto Zuko’s shoulder for support as the two of them dissolve into helpless laughter.

“Man,” Zuko says, a few giggles still escaping as he straightens up, a grin on his face. It melts into an amused quirked eyebrow when he sees Sokka staring, a smile on his face.

“You have a pretty smile, Zuko,” Sokka says. “You should smile more; you look cute.”

“Um. Thanks.” Zuko flushes. “You too,” he says, cringing a bit when it sounds too keen.

Sokka doesn’t notice, just grinning at Zuko. “Thank you, Z.” He looks around then, seemingly just noticing where they are. “By the way, do you have any idea where we are?”

Zuko takes a look around himself, taking in the sprawling building to the left and what seems to be a… garden(?) on the right. He shakes his head. “No clue.”

He yelps when a warm hand grabs his upper arm and tugs him towards the overgrown greenery. “There’s a hedge maze! Come on!”

Spluttering, Zuko lets himself be dragged to the entrance of what had looked like an untamed garden but is actually, as Sokka said, a hedge maze. Albeit a little under trimmed.

Sokka has a sparkle in his eye that spells out trouble for Zuko’s poor, poor heart, which soars into his throat as soon as Sokka turns that dazzling grin on him. “This is gonna be fun.”

Zuko doesn’t understand what Sokka means until he’s left blinking at where Sokka had been standing a second ago. “...What?” He finally asks.

“First one to get to the end is buying lunch!” Sokka’s voice comes floating over.

“Who said we were eating lunch together?” Zuko yells, plunging into the hedge maze with a sigh.

“Me, motherfucker!” Sokka calls back, tone gleeful. “I know you’re not gonna turn me down!”

Zuko sighs again, fully aware of the fact that Sokka’s right; he’s not going to turn down any chances to be around Sokka and his brilliant mind.

“I think I know who’s going to be buying lunch today!” Sokka teases, the faint sound of running footsteps accompanying his voice. “And it’s not gonna be me!”

Zuko knows Sokka’s comment is to get him riled up, knows all too well what a provoking statement sounds like. But like always, it works.

“You wanna play? We can play.” Zuko narrows his eyes and turns around in a circle slowly, searching for something that’ll give him the upper hand.

Hearing the burbling of a fountain, Zuko sets off in that direction, snarling every time he runs into a dead end. After more time than he’d have liked, he’s in a tiny courtyard with an equally tiny fountain at the center of it.

Sizing up the fountain, Zuko chews at his lip but backs up regardless. Taking a single breath in, he runs towards the fountain and makes his way to the very top, crouching and praying that it won’t break under him. By some miracle, it doesn’t.

With this vantage point, Zuko can see the exit of the maze, and- fuck, Sokka’s _extremely_ close to it, a splash of blue amongst all the green. Zuko hopes that the multiple dead ends he sees are going to be enough to keep Sokka preoccupied while he wins. His mouth quirks up a bit as he jumps off the fountain, rolling into a standing position when he hits the ground.

 _No time to waste._ Zuko takes off at a fast jog, making his way towards the single corner of the maze that’s made out of concrete for some reason, and _coincidentally_ the one where Sokka currently is.

As Zuko bursts into the same passage as Sokka, the other whirls around. “Zuko!” He grins smugly. “Nice going, but I do believe that I’m the one going to win this time. You see, there are three possible routes to go from here, and I’ve already tried two of them. Meaning that the third one is the way to the exit. Since you don’t know which one that is, I will be the winner!”

“Not quite.” Zuko lets his mouth curl up lazily into a smirk. “I’ve got a trick up my sleeve.” He doesn’t wait for Sokka to respond before he’s sprinting at the wall and running up it, reaching and pulling himself up.

Perched on top of the wall, Zuko smiles down complacently at Sokka, who stares up at him, eyes wide. “Wh- How- What-” Sokka splutters.

“Looks like you’re buying lunch.” Zuko grins, overly happy with himself, as he drops down on the other side and runs out the maze. He’s rendered Sokka speechless instead of it being the other way around! It’s a nice change.

“That was unfair!” Sokka comes barreling out of the exit. Stopping in front of Zuko, he pokes a finger into his chest, seemingly still at a loss for what else to say.

Zuko smiles placidly and grips Sokka’s wrist loosely, tamping down the urge to fit their hands together. “You never specified that we _had_ to find our way through the maze.”

Sokka doesn’t snatch his hand out of Zuko’s grip, contrary to his expectations. He makes a face at Zuko. “Well, people can usually understand what the rules are, _Zuko._ ”

“Oh, I knew what they were,” Zuko snorts. “I just chose to be slightly dense.”

Sokka shakes his head in a disappointed manner, though there’s a smile on his face. “Slightly, my ass,” he grumbles. He then mutters something that sounds like, “Or you’re letting me down easy,” though Zuko can’t be completely sure on the last part. He’s distracted anyways when Sokka brightens up. “Wanna get lunch? There’s a really good noodle place nearby.”

Zuko agrees readily, and as they’re served their meals, Zuko waits for the unavoidable question.

“So, since when are you Spiderman?” Sokka shovels a mouthful of his noodles into his mouth as he waits for Zuko’s response.

There it is.

“I’m not _Spiderman,_ ” Zuko objects. “I just-”

“Can literally fucking _climb walls_?” Sokka squints at Zuko. “Sounds like Spiderman to me.”

Zuko stuffs his mouth with his spicy noodles instead of responding, though he directs his best doubt-filled look at Sokka, who just continues talking.

“Spiderman’s kinda hot, though, don’t you think? And dating him would be cool! You’d be able to do the upside-down kiss thing, which is iconic.”

“Um.” Zuko swallows his noodles with a bit of difficulty. “I don’t know much about Spiderman.”

Sokka grins. “I don’t either.”

“Oh.” The surface of the table is well-worn and has a few dents in the wood, Zuko notices. In an attempt to rekindle the conversation, Zuko asks, “What have you learned about recently?”

Sokka absolutely lights up and Zuko settles in, content to listen to him talk. He can’t stop himself from interjecting at certain points to ask questions or add comments, and Sokka’s smile gets wider and wider with each interruption.

The conversation somehow segues into one about various TV shows, most of which Zuko has never seen, but it’s suspended when someone clears their throat next to their table.

“Sorry guys,” says the server with an apologetic smile. “We try to limit each party two and a half hours at most because of the number of customers we get, so do you two think you can wrap up soon? I can bring your check over if you’d like.”

“Oh!” Zuko hadn’t been aware of the time passing. “Of course. Thank you.”

Outside, Zuko looks at Sokka, completely expecting him to bid him farewell and leave. Instead, Sokka says, “Ready to show me some of your Spiderman skills?”

Zuko just looks unamused at Sokka, who laughs, eyes crinkled.

“They’re not Spiderman skills,” Zuko mumbles after a brief second of silence.

“No,” Sokka agrees. “You can just climb up walls like it’s nothing.”

Zuko rolls his eyes half heartedly and starts walking, an idea forming in his mind. Glancing over his shoulder at Sokka, he raises an eyebrow. “You coming or not?”

Sokka snaps out of whatever trance he’d been in and runs to Zuko’s side. “Where are we going?”

Zuko hums, his lips curving up. “You’ll find out.”

The two of them arrive shortly at Zuko’s planned location: a decently big park, chock-full of half-walls, benches, bars, and obstacles. In short, a parkourist’s paradise.

“Are we here for the reason I’m thinking of?” Sokka asks as he looks around the deserted place.

Zuko shrugs, taking off his jacket and draping it over a bar so that he’s left in only his snugly fitting, dark red shirt. “Maybe. What’s the reason you’re thinking of?” He starts stretching, thankful that he hadn’t decided to wear his Doc Martens today.

“Spider-” Sokka cuts off abruptly when he turns around, eyes raking over Zuko. He clears his throat. “Spiderman skills.” His cheeks look a little more flushed than normal, but Zuko blames it on the sunlight. (It isn’t because of Zuko, is it? No. Can't be.)

Crashing and burning that train of thought before it can make its way further into his mind, Zuko smiles slightly. “Sure. That works.”

Then he’s off, leaping towards the obstacles and making his way around the park while never touching the ground. He hasn’t freerun in a few days and his muscles let him know about their dissatisfaction pretty quickly, despite his brief warmup session.

But seeing Sokka staring at him, astonishment and something else written clearly across his face, is enough to make Zuko smirk and keep going, throwing in a few flips and wall runs.

All too soon, he’s circled the park and is getting closer and closer to where Sokka’s standing when a thought occurs to him. Holding back a grin, Zuko leaps towards the bar Sokka’s standing right next to, using his momentum to swing around it a few times before finally hooking the bar behind his knees and settling upside down. The bar’s a high one, so Zuko’s able to look right into Sokka’s wide blue eyes.

“That was… amazing,” Sokka breathes.

Zuko flushes slightly, panting hard and heart pounding. Whether that’s because of the exercise, the barest scent of Sokka, or a mix of both, he can’t tell. “Thanks,” is all he can manage to say, the sides of his mouth curling up.

A foxy expression comes across Sokka’s face then, and he grins. “No problem.” He leans up to press a kiss to Zuko’s forehead.

Eyes widening as he jolts, Zuko’s face somehow turns even redder, and his legs unhook themselves from the bar. The next thing he knows, he’s falling and rolling purely because of reflex, ending up in a kneeling position.

“Shit,” he hears, and looks up to see a horrified Sokka. “You okay?”

Zuko springs up. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been through worse.”

“You sure?”

Zuko nods.

Sokka looks at Zuko for a moment longer before nodding. “Alright.” There’s a beat of silence, and the two of them can hear a group of people hooting and laughing, steadily getting closer. They share a look.

“Wanna get out of here?” Sokka asks, pointing his head towards where Zuko knows the astrology building is.

“Please,” he responds, retrieving his jacket and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Great!” Sokka takes Zuko’s hand, lacing their fingers together, and Zuko tries not to overthink the meaning of that as they start walking.

When they arrive, they don’t go inside the building like Zuko had expected. Rather, Sokka leads the two of them to a secluded corner next to a pole and what seems to be some maintenance box on it.

“Come on,” he whispers after glancing around, stepping up on the box and pulling himself up to the edge of the roof.

Zuko looks at Sokka incredulously but follows him regardless, accepting Sokka’s hand even though it probably would’ve been easier to pull himself up if he hadn’t.

“What are-” he starts, but is cut off by Sokka’s shushing noise.

“Follow me.” Sokka starts running across the roof, obviously used to the shifting rocks under his feet.

Bemused, Zuko jogs after him, catching up quickly. They cover ground quickly, and within a minute they’re at… another section of the roof. Zuko sends a baffled look at Sokka, who just smiles as he sits down.

“Now we wait.”

Zuko gives Sokka a suspicious look this time, but sits down next to Sokka nonetheless. He doesn’t have to wait long before Sokka’s bumping his shoulder, pointing towards the horizon without a word. Zuko’s unable to hold back a gasp at the sight.

The sun is setting on the two of them, painting the sky a breathtaking combination of orange and dark purple and making the clouds look like they’re on fire as golden light catches their edges.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sokka murmurs, drawing Zuko back to the moment. “The astrology wing is located on the highest ground that this university covers, and this is the section of the roof closest to the west. I come here sometimes when I need to unwind.”

“Is it always this pretty?” Zuko turns to look at Sokka, and his breath catches in his throat. Sokka has his eyes fixed on the sunset, and _spirits_ does the golden light look good on him. Sokka looks absolutely ethereal, the light highlighting his cheekbones, and blue eyes bright against his glowing skin.

“I think it’s prettier than normal today.” Sokka turns his head and his expression turns to one nearing reverence.

“What?” Zuko can’t help but duck behind his hair once Sokka doesn’t look away, hiding his scar.

Sokka brushes the hair away and cups Zuko’s face, still not looking away. “Just- your eyes. They’re always so golden and gorgeous, but in this light, they’re _stunning_.”

Zuko’s cheeks turn pink for what must be the hundredth time that day, but he doesn’t move away, eyes caught on Sokka’s as his heart threatens to beat out of his chest. The tension between them is palpable but Zuko doesn’t move, feeling like he’s going to drown in the color of Sokka’s eyes - a pale green, courtesy of the base blue and yellow light.

Someone’s yell of, “Who’s up there? Get off!” cuts through the tension like a newly-sharpened knife, and Sokka lowers his hand slowly.

“Busted.” Sokka’s smile is amused and warm.

Zuko returns it, chest warm and full in a way that it’s never been before, then smirks at Sokka. “See if you can keep up.”

He starts running back the way they came from, a grin taking over his face as he hears Sokka’s feet shifting the gravel. A cry of “Hey!” rises up from behind them, and Zuko lets the laugh that had been building up loose as he picks up speed, exhilaration and adrenaline pumping through him.

“Turn left here!” Sokka yells behind him, a smile obvious in his voice.

Zuko cuts the corner and slows down, letting Sokka take the lead since he has no idea where to go from here. Sokka takes an incredibly twisty road, and the two of them eventually end up right next to a willow tree that towers over the two of them.

Zuko starts reaching towards the tree, but Sokka stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “The guy’s gonna be patrolling the ground. We’ll be safer if we stay here for a few minutes.”

“Oh.” Zuko hadn’t thought of that. “Good idea.” He drops down on his stomach on the middle of the roof, and Sokka does the same.

Not even 20 seconds after, there’s the sound of running footsteps below them, and Sokka grins triumphantly. “See? We’ll wait here a few more minutes and then go down when it’s completely safe.”

Zuko nods and rests his chin on his hands, feeling the warmth of the rocks on the roof as he listens to the sounds beneath them.

He’s not quite sure how much time passes until the man who’d chased them passes under them again, grumbling to himself about “Damn teenage delinquents and their damn parkour,” the entire time, but it’s enough time for his heartbeat to slow back down to normal and for the sky to turn a dark indigo.

After the man’s long gone, Zuko hears Sokka shift and blinks his eyes open to find him sitting up and smiling down at him. “Falling asleep, lazybones?

“Who are you calling lazy?” Zuko grumbles as he rolls onto his back. “I was just soaking up the warmth from the rocks. There’s a difference.”

“So you’re a cat,” Sokka says, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Zuko splutters and sits up, staring at Sokka. “One: I’m not a cat. Two: _How_ am I a cat?”

Sokka shrugs, the grin still on his face as he leans back on his arms and looks up at the sky. “Oh, you know. They’re all prickly until you get to know them, love warm places, cute, et cetera.” He grins down at Zuko. “You’re a cat! Face it, cat boy.” He then seems to register what just came out of his mouth, and a look of extreme regret passes over his face. “Forget I just called you a catboy.”

Zuko, for his part, doesn’t know much about catboys apart from the fact that they’re boys with cat ears. Or something. He shrugs. “Fine. If you stop calling me a cat.”

“I’ll do that,” Sokka says with a nod, still looking like he’s had a cup of tea that 14-year-old Zuko had brewed. His face clears up, though, when he appears to have thought of something else. “By the way, do you remember that one time Professor Kuei brought in his massive dog?”

Zuko snickers. “Bosco? As if I could forget.”

Sokka’s easy smile is back, and he flashes it at Zuko. “That day was something else, to be honest.”

“It was kind of nice,” Zuko muses. “Though Bosco was… slobbery.”

“Are you kidding?” Sokka exclaims. “He was adorable!”

Zuko wrinkles his nose. “I guess. The pure amount of saliva that came out of his mouth outweighs that, though. Not to mention I thought he was going to eat my hair.”

Sokka laughs, and Zuko’s heart flutters. “Are you a cat person, Z?”

“No. I love dogs, especially Bosco.” Zuko rolls his eyes. “Of course I’m a cat person, you dolt.”

“Oh! So you’re not a catboy, you’re a cat _person_!” Sokka looks like he’s solved a cold case.

Zuko pretends to know the difference between the two. “...Sure.”

The two of them lapse into easy conversation from there, the rocks beneath them slowly turning colder. Zuko shivers and Sokka notices, edging closer until their shoulders are pressed together.

“Here,” he says, shrugging an arm out from his jacket and holding it out. “We can cuddle together and share body warmth. Like penguins!”

Zuko slides under his arm gratefully, immediately feeling the bite of the cold ease up. He ignores how his heartbeat picks up when Sokka tilts his head onto Zuko’s shoulder. “Do you not get affected by the cold at all or something?”

Sokka laughs a bit, his undercut brushing Zuko’s neck. “Not really, nah. I grew up in what you call the Canadian Arctic, so I’m really used to being cold. Honestly, this isn’t cold at all.”

“Must be nice,” Zuko grumbles. “I grew up in a place that had really mild weather. Sometimes I visited Japan in the summer, so I’m used to hot and humid weather. We stopped visiting though.”

“Why?” Sokka asks, hauling his leg over Zuko’s.

“My mom disappeared, so my father saw no use in visiting her side of the family anymore,” Zuko responds, voice carefully devoid of emotion as he thinks back to that one night his mother had woken him up in the middle of the night. He can still remember what she’d said word for word. _Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are._ He can still remember her hug, the sad smile she’d given him before she’d turned around and closed his door.

“I’m sorry,” Sokka murmurs, massaging Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko hadn’t even been aware that he’d been tensing his shoulders, but he lowers his shoulders with an exhale.

“Don’t apologize; it’s not your fault. Besides, it’s in the past now.”

“I’ve lost my mom too,” Sokka admits quietly. “We lived in a rural area where the closest person was a few dozen miles away. Dad was off hunting, Katara and I were playing outside, and Mom was in the house when a few people broke in, intent on robbing us. Katara ran inside to find Mom, and I ran to get Dad.”

Zuko winds an arm around Sokka as the other takes a deep breath. “Take your time,” he whispers. Sokka gives him a grateful, though dim, smile.

“Dad made me hide in the woods and made me promise to stay there until he came back, so I didn’t hear anything inside the house. But by the time he came back, Mom was dead. Gone to a better place, Dad told us. I had it bad, but Katara had it worse. I’m pretty sure she actually saw Mom’s body, but we- we don’t talk about it much.” Sokka presses his forehead into Zuko’s shoulder. “Then after only a few years, nearly every man in the area, including Dad, got enlisted in the navy, which left me and Katara with our GranGran, who moved just to take care of us. Even Bato, Dad’s childhood friend, got enlisted. The only remotely bright side was that they were in the same battalion, so they could watch each other’s backs. I don’t know if either of them would have come back without the other.”

 _Fuck it_ , Zuko decides, and brings his other arm around to hug Sokka tightly. Sokka exhales lightly, breath dancing across Zuko’s shoulder, and his arm squeezes Zuko back.

“But they came back, both alive and intact.” Sokka laughs, and it’s so hollow and dull that Zuko’s chest constricts in pain. He never wants to hear Sokka laugh like that again. “And thank god for that. I would’ve been a mess without them. All of us would’ve. Bato actually wound up moving in with us, which probably should’ve been suspicious, but I was 15 and too busy with my own bullshit to connect the dots.”

“Wait,” Zuko says suddenly, straightening up. “Were your dad and Bato-”

Sokka huffs out a laugh. “I’m getting to it, jeez! Patience, Z.” He shifts his weight. “But yes, they were dating. They told me and Katara that they had something to tell us one day, and Bato told us that they were involved in a romantic relationship.”

“How did everyone react?” Zuko asks softly.

“Katara took a while to get used to it,” Sokka says, finger worrying at a rip in Zuko’s jeans. “She came around after a few weeks, but I imagine it wasn’t too fun for Dad and Bato. She’s completely fine with it now, though, and pushes for equal rights a lot today, as I’m sure you’ve heard.”

“I definitely have.” Zuko quirks the side of his mouth up, thinking back to the beginning of the year and how his relationship with Katara has changed since then.

Sokka laughs, and this time it sounds more like him. “Yeah. I think what really pushed her to dedicate her life to fighting for equal rights was my coming out, though she was probably going in that direction already.” He worms a leg under Zuko’s. “That’s my life story, basically. Care to share yours?” He says it jokingly, but Zuko can tell that he does actually care about what Zuko has to say.

Zuko doesn’t know if it’s their shared warmth, or the heaviness of Sokka’s arm and his scent that’s starting to feel more and more like _home_ , but he nods, confidence bolstered. “Yeah. I’ll share mine.”

“Are you sure?” Sokka’s tone is concerned and Zuko can picture the look on his face.

He looks down at their tangled legs. “I’m sure. I trust you. No apologies from you, though. None of this is your fault.”

“Okay,” Sokka says softly. “You don’t have to share all of it.”

Zuko nods to show he’s heard, then takes a deep breath to start. “I was born into an incredibly rich family. You’ve heard of Ozai Hinote, right?” He looks up at Sokka.

Sokka nods, brows furrowed. They slowly rise when he puts two and two together. “Ozai? As in the CEO of Sozin Industries?”

Zuko sighs. “Yeah. That’s my dad. My father doesn’t like anybody, except for occasionally my sister, but that’s really only because she’s his perfect child. The prodigy, mastering everything she ever tries within the hour. She’s the only person my father ever showed positive emotion to, including me. Even though I was the firstborn, I was always the disappointment, the slacker, the one not working hard enough. His opinion of me has been unfavorable for as long as I can remember, and honestly probably even before that, too.”

“That’s horrible,” Sokka whispers. “I know you said no apologies, but…”

Zuko shrugs and takes a deep breath. “I only ever got worse in his eyes, just because I couldn’t master things as fast as my sister. And even if I did get decent at something, he’d somehow be there, criticizing me for being too lazy and selfish, or mocking me. If I made even one tiny mistake, I’d be forced to study and practice for hours, until he sent Azula to tell me I could stop, which she would do while laughing at my attempts. He never told me himself, but I was too scared to stop because with my luck, he’d come to see me the one time I dared defy him. I never wanted to see what would happen if he ever caught me not following his instructions on top of not meeting his expectations.”

“He never… hit you, did he?” Sokka asks, face dismayed.

Zuko bites his lip. “Not technically.” He keeps his eyes fixed on the roof as he moves his hand to pick at the same rip in his jeans Sokka had been picking at. Sokka moves his hand and clutches at Zuko’s with it, their hands fitting together easily. Zuko takes comfort in that before moving on.

“Of course, with our father being the CEO of one of the most successful software companies, Azula and I always had top tier electronics and were free to do whatever we wanted with them.” Zuko exhales. “Growing up in an incredibly sheltered place, I’d never questioned my gender or sexuality, just because I simply hadn’t considered that I could have been something different from what everyone else assumed and expected me to be. But then suddenly I had access to the internet and I started questioning everything. Myself, Azula, the people around me, the situation I lived in.

“Eventually, I figured out that I was gay. I dated a family friend for a while, but that was only to keep our families happy. We got up to some wild shit.” Zuko smiles faintly at the memory, but the smile drops quickly, and he shakes his head. “For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to come out to my dad. I was thirteen and stupid and hopeful and desperate for my father to see me as something other than a failure.”

Zuko sighs heavily, hunching in on himself. Sokka squeezes tight. “I had a whole plan and everything, too, for how to come out to him. But I didn’t follow it. I just walked into his office one day, and told him that I was gay. Not that I thought I was gay, but that it was who I was.” He traces a finger along the rip. “I’d thought about his reaction for hours on end, but never in my life could I have conjured an image of what he actually did.”

Zuko pauses to gather his thoughts, then muscles on. “He had the most hideous, disgusted look on his face. Disgusted by the fact that something he had fathered could be a fucking faggot. Disgusted by me, with my existence. And I think- I think my coming out was the last straw for him. He fiddled with something for a few seconds, clicking a lighter, before just- hurling it at my face as hard as he could.”

Sokka squeezes Zuko’s hand painfully tight, leaning into Zuko firmly. Zuko reminds himself that he’s not in his father’s office again, uses Sokka as an anchoring point to come back to himself.

“I couldn’t tell what was on fire,” Zuko says, voice quiet. “All I could tell was that it was heading towards my face fast and I only had time to turn my face away.” He shuts his eyes and lowers his head to instinctively let his hair cover his scar, remembering the panic that had reared up quick, the searing pain as he’d fallen backwards, quivering hands millimeters away from his face. “He got closer to me then, and snarled, word for word, ‘No child of mine will ever be an unnatural fucking queer. I hope for your own sake that I’ve burned the faggot out of you.’

“Then he walked away. I could hear his footsteps stalk away as the world faded to black. All I could think was, _Dad set my face on fire_. I passed out around then, I think. And when I woke up, I was at Uncle’s with gauze on my eye and a bandage holding it in place.” Zuko smiles mirthlessly. “I was told that my father had all but disowned me. The only things tying me to him was our blood and my birth certificate, which I’m sure he burned as well.

“And just like that, Azula was from then on his only child, and I know he preferred it that way. The ultimate father-daughter pair, and there weren’t any other failures to stain his reputation.”

Zuko takes a breath before continuing. “Azula and I… we don’t hate each other, not really. We’ve just been pitted against each other so many times that it’s the only thing we know how to do, the only way we know how to act around each other. I reached out to her a while ago about therapy. I’m hoping she takes me up on it, since it helped me a lot.”

“I hope she takes you up on it, too,” Sokka says. “Do you want a hug? It sounds like you didn’t have many growing up.”

Zuko barely nods once before he’s being squeezed tight.

“You’re so fucking strong, Zuko,” Sokka murmurs in his ear. “Don’t forget that. Ever.”

“The same goes for you, you know,” Zuko returns, squeezing Sokka back.

Something his Uncle had told him floats into his head then: _Letting yourself be loved is not a sign of weakness, Zuko. It is one of strength, and one that your father never showed._ Zuko had been fourteen and too damn angry to listen to his uncle, but at that moment, he knows Iroh had been right, and he makes a mental note to make Uncle a cup of tea later.

The two stay like that until Sokka’s phone starts ringing.

“Sorry.” Sokka cringes and accepts the call, putting it on speaker. “Katara? You’re on speaker. What do you want?”

“Hello to you too, Sokka. Hi Zuko,” comes Katara’s voice.

“Hi,” greets Zuko. He decides not to think about how Katara knows he’s with Sokka.

“Are you coming home for dinner? We’ve been pushing it later because Bato’s still at work and you get home late a lot, but we’re gonna need to make it sometime soon.”

Dinnertime? Already? Zuko checks his phone surreptitiously. 7:42, his screen reads. He’s been with Sokka for around 6 hours, Zuko realizes, and would be fine with being with him for even longer.

“Do you wanna come home with me for dinner, Zuko?” Sokka asks. “We can probably work on the last of the essays after.”

 _As friends?_ Zuko wonders. _Or as more?_ He shoves that thought away and shakes his head. “I’ve got a bunch of exams to study for. I should be free in two days to work on our essays, though.”

“So no Zuko for dinner, but we get Sokka?” Katara asks.

Zuko laughs. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“No worries. I’ll go tell GranGran. See you in a few days, Zuko.” The line disconnects.

“I’ll text you the times I’m free tomorrow,” Zuko says to Sokka, who’s putting his phone away.

Sokka nods. “Sounds good!” He stands up and offers a hand to Zuko, who takes it and heaves himself up, shivering as Sokka’s jacket slips off his shoulder.

They make their way off the roof. Sokka shrugs off his jacket and hands it to Zuko, who looks up, surprised, when it’s shoved into his arms.

“Aren’t you going to be cold?”

“Nah. Canada, remember?” Sokka grins and leaves with a wink, moonlight glancing off his eyes and turning them silver.

Zuko watches him leave, a small smile on his face, before he pulls on the jacket and turns around himself to walk home, surrounded by the scent of a cold ocean breeze and Sokka.

~!~

The final day of the semester, and the one where they’re to find out their grades, Sokka slides into his usual seat, next to Zuko’s.

“Hey,” Zuko greets with a smile, taking out his earbuds as the sound of Linkin Park fades.

“Hello to my favorite project partner,” Sokka says, grinning, as he dumps his backpack on the ground next to him. “You ready to find out our grade?”

Zuko makes a ‘yikes’ face, and Sokka bursts out laughing. “Same, Z, same.”

Their attention is drawn to the front of the room when Professor Kuei claps his hands. “Happy last day before break, everyone! All you’re doing today is finding out your grades, and then you’re free to leave to do whatever you want. When I call out your names, please come up to retrieve your essays. You’re allowed to leave once you get your papers.”

Sokka and Zuko are among the first to be called. The two of them each get their own packets, face down, and go to exit the room.

As soon as they leave the classroom, Sokka flips his packet to what the professor calls ‘the grade page’ and gasps, staring at it with wide eyes.

Zuko looks at him out of the corner of his eye, dread creeping through his gut. “Is our grade that bad?” he asks, fully expecting the answer to be yes.

Sokka, however, breaks out into that blinding grin and shakes his head frantically. “No! It’s the opposite!” He all but shoves the paper into Zuko’s face. “Look!”

Zuko rears back, blinking, and flips to his own grade page over, ignoring the one Sokka had waved in his face. _114%_ , the paper reads.

Wait, what?

Zuko frowns at the paper. “...Was extra credit available on this?” He racks his brain, trying to remember.

Sokka shakes his head again. “Nope! That’s what was so surprising.”

“Then why…” Zuko trails off as he finds a comment at the bottom of the page. _Good work, boys! Extra points to the both of you for working together well and forming a bond._ “...Huh.”

“Right?” Sokka’s smile had died down a bit, but it’s back to full force now. “Who would’ve known that following the instructions would give you extra credit?”

“Yeah,” Zuko says a bit absentmindedly, distracted by how Sokka looks when the sunlight streaming through a window hits his eyes just right, making them glow even brighter. The pair walk past the window, and Zuko shakes himself back into the present. “Who would’ve known.”

They walk in comfortable silence for a few moments, before Sokka perks up. “You know what we should do?”

Zuko tilts his head.

Sokka, completely used to how Zuko doesn’t answer questions verbally sometimes, exclaims, “We should get boba to celebrate! It’s break, and we’re passing this class with over a hundred percent.”

What Zuko should do is make excuses and bid Sokka goodbye, but he’s a weak-willed person and can’t resist the opportunity to hang out more with Sokka.

Which is how the two of them end up at the Jasmine Dragon yet again, but Sokka’s the one paying this time.

“You got it last time,” he insists. “Let me get it.”

Zuko shrugs and agrees, but he doesn’t really think he has any other choice, judging by how Sokka’s narrowing his eyes playfully at him. Zuko laughs and raises his hands in surrender, which makes Sokka break out into a smile as well.

When their names are called, Sokka receives the drinks and hands one to Zuko, bowing. Zuko takes it with a snort. “You’re ridiculous,” he grumbles, though his pink cheeks give him away.

“That’s my middle name.” Sokka walks backwards towards the exit, not bothering to check behind him as he raises an eyebrow. “You coming?”

Zuko’s eyes widen in horror. “Sokka!” He darts forward and pulls Sokka to his side just before the other would’ve walked into a table.

“Oops,” is all Sokka has to say with that damn grin, though he does flip around to actually face where he’s going, taking a sip of his boba with an obnoxiously loud slurp.

Zuko fights the urge to physically facepalm as they leave the store. _Why am I in love with this guy again?_ He thinks.

Then stops, choking on his tapioca. Wait, _what?_ Between coughs, he sees Sokka looking at him worriedly, then feels a hand on his back, warm and soothing.

“You okay, Zu?”

Zuko nods. He feels like his body’s attempting to eject his lungs from his body, but he manages to straighten up. “Just swallowed some air with my tea,” he manages.

Sokka still looks a bit concerned, but he nods. “Happens to the best of us,” he says with a small smile. He seems to debate something for a second before declaring, “I’m walking you back to your dorm.”

Zuko feels his expression morph into one of slight surprise, but he doesn’t say anything, merely nods.

The duo set off towards Zuko’s dorm, Sokka talking animatedly about a project he’s working on, and on the way there, Zuko finds his hand brushing against Sokka’s.

The third time their hands brush, Sokka takes Zuko’s hand in his own and intertwines their fingers, never pausing in his talking. Zuko’s heart leaps and starts beating at a record-breaking pace, but he keeps a straight face and goes back to focusing on the ground in front of him as they walk to his dorm, sneaking looks over at Sokka every few seconds and hoping that the warm feeling in his chest isn’t too obvious on his face.

As he listens to Sokka talk, Zuko realizes that they’re already in front of his dorm building. Wanting the moment to keep going for just a moment longer, Zuko unlocks the door without a word.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them are in Zuko’s dorm, standing in front of Zuko’s desk, hands still (somehow) clasped. Sokka finishes off his tangent, and Zuko’s suddenly struck by just how _datelike_ the entire day has been.

Before he can say anything though, Sokka’s lips are on his, soft and warm. Zuko can’t do anything but stare at Sokka’s closed eyelids, paralyzed by shock, until they open to reveal ocean blue eyes.

Those eyes widen and fill with alarm, and then Sokka’s letting go of Zuko’s hand quickly and stepping away from him, apologizing hastily.

 _Fuck this,_ Zuko thinks, stepping forward to close the space between them and threading his hand into a still-blabbering Sokka’s hair, pulling the other into another kiss. Sokka shuts up and his hand comes up to cradle Zuko’s face. Zuko can’t help but smile into the kiss, feeling Sokka do the same.

They eventually break apart, and when Zuko opens his eyes, he’s looking directly into Sokka’s.

“I kinda really like you,” Sokka says, eyes crinkling into a smile.

“I’ve liked you ever since I first saw you in class,” Zuko admits, untangling his hand from Sokka’s hair (which is totally messed up - oops) and moving it to his hip. “I’m kinda mad that it took you so long to kiss me.”

“It’s not my fault you’re so oblivious,” Sokka grins as he steals another kiss.

“Yeah, well.” Zuko steals one of his own, to balance it out. “I’m still mad.”

Sokka’s arms come to rest around Zuko’s waist. “You love me,” he teases, eyes warm. Then he seems to realize what he’s just said, and his eyes widen. “I-”

“Yeah,” Zuko says, a soft part of him softening even more as he confesses. “I do.” He bites his lip, then. “I know it’s a bit early, but-”

“Oh, shut up,” Sokka breathes, pressing their lips together again. His arms tighten around Zuko, and Zuko has to fight not to melt into him. “I love you too, you big idiot.”

They stay like that for a few moments, before Zuko musters up the courage to ask, “Be my boyfriend?” It sounds incredibly childish, but he just wants Sokka to confirm-

“Of course, love,” Sokka says, pressing a kiss to Zuko’s cheek.

Zuko flushes at the endearment, and Sokka’s eyes light up. “You like pet names?”

Zuko tries to evade the question, but Sokka seems to take his silence as a yes. “Oh, you do! Good thing I’ve got a ton up my sleeve, baby.”

Now bright red, Zuko pushes Sokka away, but he just dances back, laughing. “C’mon, sweetheart! Let me love you!”

“Shut up,” Zuko says, but it comes out so incredibly fond that he doesn’t even sound like himself.

“Never,” Sokka returns, a sparkle in his eye. “Darling.”

Zuko walks over to his bed and splays out on it. “What did I just sign up for?” he groans.

“Being the best boyfriend ever,” Sokka says, flopping down on top of Zuko.

“I’ll try,” Zuko says, a bit quieter. Though he’s gotten better at not doubting himself at every turn, his self-doubt occasionally makes an appearance.

“Hey,” Sokka says softly, pressing their foreheads together. “You’ll do great, Z. You’re absolutely amazing and I’m willing to work through any issues that might come up. You deserve the absolute best.”

Zuko feels tears welling up because of that statement, almost overwhelmed with how sweet his boyfriend ( _boyfriend!!_ His mind yells) is. “I’m willing, too,” he says, voice almost too quiet.

“I know,” Sokka says. Then, apparently sensing Zuko’s want for a distraction, brightens up. “Do you wanna make out now? And maybe take our clothes off?”

Zuko’s startled into a laugh. “You’re an absurd person,” he says, shaking his head with a smile.

“Yeah,” Sokka says, then captures Zuko’s mouth with his own, nipping at Zuko’s lips. He leans back after a few minutes, panting and so obviously disheveled that it makes Zuko’s heart hurt. “But I’m _your_ absurd person.”

Zuko rolls his eyes affectionately, and threads his hands into Sokka’s shirt. “Shut up and kiss me.”

“Thought you’d never ask.” Sokka smirks and bends down to do exactly that, their lips moving together slow and sweet.

 _Don’t stop,_ Zuko thinks as he arches up into Sokka, fists bunching up the other’s shirt.

They don’t, and the two spend the rest of the day sharing breaths, never leaving the other’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sokka: [compares zuko to spiderman and calls spiderman hot]  
> sokka: [brings up kissing spiderman despite not knowing much about spiderman]  
> sokka: [keeps coming up with excuses to spend more time with zuko]  
> sokka: [brings zuko to one of his favorite places]  
> sokka: [stares at zuko’s face]  
> sokka: [calls zuko’s eyes stunning]  
> sokka: [be gay do crime]  
> sokka: [shares his jacket with zuko and later gives it to him]  
> sokka: [calls zuko cute multiple times]  
> sokka: [invites zuko to dinner with his fucking family]  
> zuko:  
> zuko:  
> zuko:  
> zuko: he’s not into me like i’m into him
> 
> are they idiots in love? discuss. (you don’t have to but it’d be funny if you discussed it like you’re on an online school discussion board. bonding activities!) also i’m not saying that zuko started showing off his ‘spiderman skills’ after he saw sokka’s reaction in the maze. but. he started showing off his spiderman skills after he saw sokka’s reaction in the maze.
> 
> i have more in store for this au, so make sure 2 subscribe to the series if you’re interested! if you’ve stuck with me throughout all these words and read every single one of them, i can’t thank you enough. ily^5!


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